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Settling the WestA Webquest for

10th Grade American History

Created by Ronna Williams

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Introduction: The West has often been romanticized in movies and literature. This Web Quest will reveal the reality of the western frontier. Rather than heroes riding off into the sunset, you’ll meet real Americans who dared to journey West in search of a dreams.

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`Task

You will create a travel brochure

featuring the places we visit on our

journey. Each section of the brochure should include

geographical and historical

information. Please include photographs, maps and diagrams.Sample Template

GO WEST

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• 1. Write down your goals. Your goals should include educating others on mining for gold, cowboys and long cattle drives and closing the frontier. Make them want to GO WEST!

• 2.Look at sample brochures. Identify those that have a style or format you might like to imitate or borrow..

• 3.Research the West using Resources. Use the materials provided in the WebQuest or from other sources to gather more details about your topic. If you are explaining a process, decide what background information the reader will need. Be certain to define terms the reader will need to know. Example: Maverick means stray calf.

• 4.Using the Brochure Checklist, list the major components of your brochure. Mark out any components you wish to omit from your brochure. Write headlines and subheads. Write the descriptive text. Make lists.

• 5.Sketch out some rough ideas of how you want your brochure to look — including any graphics you think you want to include. (If you do not have access to graphics software you may be able to draw your own graphics.) Try out different formats to fit your text. Edit your text to fit your layout. Experiment.

• 6.Using the page layout software available to you, transfer your rough ideas to the computer. Your software may have templates or wizards that will provide you with even more ideas.

• 7. Print your final design and fold as necessary. • 8. If you do would rather create a brochure without using software, you will need supplies like

cardstock paper, glue, glitter, art pens, construction paper, patterns, and scissors.

Process

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Evaluation

How Will I Be Graded?

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• Have you ever wondered how Americans became cowboys?

• Maybe you’ve wondered what it was like to live on the frontier.

• After completing this webquest, you’ll have a better understanding of the difficulties the people faced as they dreamed of claiming a piece of Earth as their own. You’ll discover the roots of the American cowboy & much more.

• Continue your quest for knowledge using these links to get you started!

• http://www.americanwest.com/• http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/westweb/• http://alt.tnt.tv/itw/

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Conclusion

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CreditsAnimations: www.animationfactory.com

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Conclusion Credits Resources Objectives Standards

http://gordonsfotos.blogspot.com/2005/11/old-barn.htmlCreative commons share-share alike photo of barn on slide 2.

http://the-west.net/

Play a Game on the Resource Page

http://www.archives.gov/research/american-west/ PHOTOS

The History Channel “Comstock Lode Video Clips”

http://www.glencoe.com/apps/studycentral/0078607124/core_content.html Study Central

Publisher: Glencoe/McGraw-HillPub. Date: April 2004

ISBN-13: 97800786071271020pp

Series: Glencoe Ser.Edition Description: New

EditionEdition Number: 2

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WEST SLIDESHOW

History Channel: The Comstock Lode-Virginia City-Gold Hill

RESOURCES

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Play A GamePHOTOS

The Last Cowboy’s Song

Study CentralPublisher:

Glencoe/McGraw-HillPub. Date: April 2004

ISBN-13: 97800786071271020pp

Series: Glencoe Ser.Edition Description: New

EditionEdition Number: 2

9

Teacher Page

Student Page

Teacher Page

Settling the West

A Webquest for 10th Grade American

History

Created by Ronna Williams

Intro Learner Standards Process Resources Needed

Evaluation Credits & References

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Objectives

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• This Web Quest addresses the following national standards:• Historical Understanding- Understands the historical perspective• Time, Continuity, and ChangeGrade level: 9-12Standard: Student understands the reasons people went west1. Gold 2. LandStandard: Student understands the origins of the American Cowboy3. Mexicans4. Freed Slaves5. Poor former confederate soldiers• Benchmarks: • Understands the ways in which physical, economic, environmental and psychological

factors have influenced the development of the American frontier.

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Standards

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Introduction This Webquest was developed to accompany my classroom teaching of Chapter 8 “Settling the West” using Glencoe’s American Republic Text Book.It can be easily applied to any text book with similar objectives.

What the lesson is about?

Overview

Teacher Page

Student Page

Intro Learner Standards Process Resources Needed

Evaluation Credits & References

Publisher: Glencoe/McGraw-HillPub. Date: April 2004ISBN-13: 97800786071271020ppSeries: Glencoe Ser.Edition Description: New EditionEdition Number: 2

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Learners

• This lesson was created for 10th graders in American History. The lesson is appropriate for other age groups as well.

• Students will need some basic geography skills regarding the United States to fully understand the movements of peoples in this lesson.

Teacher Page Intro Learner Standards Process Resources Needed

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Curriculum Standards• This Web Quest addresses the following national standards:• Historical Understanding- Understands the historical perspective• Time, Continuity, and ChangeGrade level: 9-12Standard: Student understands the reasons people went west1. Gold 2. LandStandard: Student understands the origins of the American Cowboy3. Mexicans4. Freed Slaves5. Poor former confederate soldiers• Benchmarks: • Understands the ways in which physical, economic, environmental and psychological

factors have influenced the development of the American frontier.

Teacher Page Intro Learner Standards Process Resources Needed

Evaluation Credits & ReferencesStudent Page

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Process• 1. Write down your goals. Your goals should include educating others on mining for gold,

cowboys and long cattle drives and closing the frontier. Make them want to GO WEST!• 2.Look at sample brochures. Identify those that have a style or format you might like to imitate

or borrow.. • 3.Research the West using Resources. Use the materials provided in the WebQuest or from

other sources to gather more details about your topic. If you are explaining a process, decide what background information the reader will need. Be certain to define terms the reader will need to know. Example: Maverick means stray calf.

• 4.Using the Brochure Checklist, list the major components of your brochure. Mark out any components you wish to omit from your brochure. Write headlines and subheads. Write the descriptive text. Make lists.

• 5.Sketch out some rough ideas of how you want your brochure to look — including any graphics you think you want to include. (If you do not have access to graphics software you may be able to draw your own graphics.) Try out different formats to fit your text. Edit your text to fit your layout. Experiment.

• 6.Using the page layout software available to you, transfer your rough ideas to the computer. Your software may have templates or wizards that will provide you with even more ideas.

• 7. Print your final design and fold as necessary. • 8. If you do would rather create a brochure without using software, you will need supplies like

cardstock paper, glue, glitter, art pens, construction paper, patterns, and scissors.

Note to Teacher

Click

Teacher Page Intro Learner Standards Process Resources Needed

EvaluationCredits & ReferencesStudent Page

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WEST SLIDESHOW

History Channel: The Comstock Lode-Virginia City-Gold Hill

RESOURCES

Teacher Page

Play A Game

PHOTOS

The Last Cowboy’s

Song

You’ll need a computer for each student.High speed internet access for viewing video clips, songs and slideshows.You’ll need desktop publishing software like Microsoft Publisher, i-works Pages, ect.If you are unable to secure desktop publishing software, you will need art supplies to create brochures.

Intro Learner Standards Process Resources Needed

Evaluation Credits & References Student Page

Study Central

Publisher: Glencoe/McGraw-HillPub. Date: April 2004

ISBN-13: 97800786071271020pp

Series: Glencoe Ser.Edition Description: New

EditionEdition Number: 2

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Evaluation

• Checklist for a Brochure about a Place• These are a few things to look for specifically related to brochures about a

place. • •Does the brochure give enough information that the reader knows where to

find this place? (Map, directions)• •Does the brochure tell what is significant about this place (historical

importance)• •Are there interesting pictures? (Pictures with people are usually more

effective but pictures of well-known landmarks or beautiful scenery can work with or without people in the photos)

• •Are the pictures or clip art useful? Do they help to tell the story or do they just seem to be filling up space?

• •Does the brochure make the reader want to visit this place or learn more about it?

• Be Sure to Include• cattle drive• mining• boom town• ghost town• bonanza• barbed wire• cowboys• specific people

•Headline that creates curiosity, states a major benefit, or

otherwise entices the reader to open and read your brochure.

•Subheadings•Easy to read blocks of text

•Lists, charts •Define Terms

•Graphic Image(s) (including purely decorative elements).

•Photographs •Diagrams and Maps

Optional Quiz

Intro

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Credits & References

The History Channel “Comstock Lode Video Clips”

http://gordonsfotos.blogspot.com/2005/11/old-barn.html Creative commons share-share alike photo of barn on slide 2.

http://www.archives.gov/research/american-west/ PHOTOS

http://the-west.net/ Game

http://www.glencoe.com/sec/socialstudies/ushistory/tar22003/content.php4/312/1 overview

http://www.glencoe.com/qe/qe35.php?&st=312&pt=3&bk=15&PHPSESSID=ca424b6040672a7eb804832a3cdd0cbc Self-check quiz

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKeDcF1v_Y4

Songwriters: Peterson, Ron; Bruce, EdArtist: Highwaymen

Intro

Teacher Page

Learner Standards Process

Evaluation

Resources Needed

Credits & References Student Page

http://www.glencoe.com/apps/studycentral/0078607124/core_content.html Study Central

Publisher: Glencoe/McGraw-HillPub. Date: April 2004

ISBN-13: 97800786071271020pp

Series: Glencoe Ser.Edition Description: New

EditionEdition Number: 2

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Note To Teacher

You and your students will need some experience with navigating the web. You’ll want to extend the lesson

over several days, perhaps weeks. If you want in depth knowledge and creative outcomes, provide the time, tools and support students need to make it happen.

If you are pushed for time, you can condense the lesson.

If you do not have access to publishing software, provide art supplies for brochures.

The lesson is designed as a “move at your own pace” Webquest. For this reason, some students may finish

earlier than others. Have a back up plan for early finishers to avoid classroom management problems.Intro

Teacher Page

Learner

Standards

Process

Evaluation

Resources Needed

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Student Page